THE BATTALION
3A
Friday, April 5, 2002
ARNING THEIR EARS
tudents mix business with pleasure through Disney internshi
n page 1A
By Lindsey Fielder
THE BATTALION
-ies will help
;ms.
■ Brittney Spell, a junior accounting major, knows what it means
■incorporate a childhood memory into a college opportunity. Spell
^^Jrticipated in the Walt Disney World College Program for six
.‘partmentissiieiB^ths j n 2001, giving her the chance to work in Orlando and
possession ofim e j ve college credit at the same time.
ted approxima:;B“i decided to go to Walt Disney World because I had always
tber said the .|| ove( j vacationing there when I was little, and because I needed a
jail s capacity. p e f rorn regular classes,” Spell said.
when people :■ jhe b est tiling about working at Disney World, Spell said, was get-
m, use false ii!;Mg t0 see firsthand how a giant international corporation operates,
drinks to irfl “j would recommend the college program to others because it is
■ excellent way to learn about people from all over the world,”
holds 38 peopkfcpgii sa jd.
I, Barber said■ Sp e n who worked as a lifeguard at Disney’s All-Star Resort,
his year. WearMdthe opportunity to see exactly how important her job was one
)re people, ra: poi night.
“1 noticed some kids struggling in the middle of the pool, so I
mped in to get them. 1 brought all three of them to the safety side
the pool,” she said. “Even though I was freezing and all of my
bthes were soaking wet, it was the first time I realized how impor-
pt my job was.”
Hilary Barlow, a senior political science major, heard about the
liege program from her discussion group leader at Fish Camp,
ne year later, she decided to attend the mandatory meeting.
lost the infonnation on where to be, and then, randomly, I ran
to my DG leader on the day of the presentation. She knew where
leave your; meeting was and that’s where it all started,” Barlow said.
Working as a hostess in a restaurant in the Magic Kingdom
:lped Barlow see how customer satisfaction can make or break
company.
“Employee empowerment is a powerful tool for a company,” she
site should be alltlaid. “If someone was dissatisfied with something, 1 had the power
nins on the groun^ofix it without having to check with my boss first.”
Aside from the serious aspects of the job, the “happiest place on
arth” has a fun side as well. Because Disney employees perform
:ertain roles while on duty, every employee wears a costume instead
nough enforcemi ofauniform.
Barlow said wearing her assigned costume led to funny moments
when kids would ask for her autograph.
“They have autograph books for little kids to get the autographs
have a team of. fiomall the characters. Well, everyone wears a costume, so kids
■ attended to y e ;, would come up and ask for my autograph,” she said. “Kids were
■ exciteti aW; cow/iced you were someone from a movie.”
and happy w ^ dWents who participate in the college program can receive
me, but youi'*'
incidents) at?* 1
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two years ago.
ccidents. but of
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ink
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it belts," Barber.'
enormous amoii
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college credit for the time they spend at Disney World. Different
colleges offer varying credits for the internship.
The best thing Barlow said she gained from her internship was
the reactions from employers and interviewers — especially during
a recent interview for a summer internship. Once the inter
viewer noticed Barlow’s Disney experience listed on
her resume, he said she was the girl they were look
ing for.
“My interview was over after they saw Disney on
my resume. They just started asking me about my
internship with Disney, and they never even fin
ished the questions they had prepared to ask,”
Barlow said. “I got that internship.”
Rachel Anderson, a senior agricultural devel
opment major, also said the Disney internship can
add a competitive edge to a student’s resume.
“The college program benefits every major and is
beneficial no matter what you want to do,” she said.
Anderson said the best thing about working for Disney was get
ting to meet people from all around the world.
“Being at Disney gave me the opportunity to network with
many of the Disney business officials as well as make
friends all over the U.S. and the world,” she said. “It
is so neat to know that no matter what state
you are in, you will probably know some
one from there.”
Anderson also said she made the best
friends of her life while working at
Disney World. Visits may be few and
far between, but she said she will
always be close to the people she met
at Disney.
“The roommates 1 had and the peo
ple that I worked with, I now consider
my closest friends even though we may
not see each other often,” she said.
In addition to networking benefits,
Barlow said her internship provided a taste of real-world
experience and education. After returning to A&M from
her Disney internship, Barlow said much of what her
management professor discussed in class related to her
experiences at Disney World.
“IMy professor] would start to talk about a topic, and I
thought to myself, T know exactly what you’re talking
about already,’ ” Barlow said. “It was much more effective
learning about things such as employee empowerment in a
seminar and then see how it was practiced in the workplace,
rather than just learning about it in a classroom.”
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Say
P L A T IN U M
“Never cecuie to
amaze her
Alwayo exceed her
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/ greatest expectations
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Annual Fay Lecture Series in Analytical Psychology
“Memories of Our Lost Hands:
Searching for Feminine Spirituality and Creativity”
Sonoko Toyoda
Friday, April 5
Opening Reception:5-6:30p.m.
Introduction to Lecture Series by TAMU President Dr. Ray Bowen
Introduction to Lecture Series by Sonoko Toyoda
Banquet & Entertainment (6:30-9:00p.m.)
All Friday functions will held at: Texas A&M University
Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni Center
Saturday, April 6
Lecture 1: The Story of the Handless Maiden 9-10:30a.m.
Lecture 2: Hands as Symbols of Feminine Creativity 1 l-12:30p.m.
Sunday, April 7
Lecture 3: Hands as Symbols of Feminine Spirituality 9-10:30a.m.
Lecture 4: The Way to Recover Our Lost Hands ll-12:30p.m.
All lectures held at Texas A&M University, Memorial Student Center
Rooms 205 & 206
TICKETS at MSC Box Office:
Students & Sr. Citizens:
$4 per lecture $12 four lectures
Adults:
$7 per lecture $24 four lectures
For additional information on the Fay Lectures call: 845-0477